E. J. Longyear’s historic first diamond drill site on the famed Mesabi Iron Range of Minnesota was the beginning of a new era in iron and mineral exploration and, under his technical direction, the Mesabi Iron Range became one of the largest regional areas of diamond drilling the world has ever seen.
In 1888, Longyear was a member of the first graduating class of Michigan College of Mines in Houghton. Later that year, he directed exploration and diamond drilling for his cousin, J. M. Longyear, on the eastern end of the Menomonee Range in Michigan. This was his first connection with diamond drilling. In the meantime, reports were coming in from northern Minnesota of the possible existence of a new iron range and, on May 22, 1890, E. J. Longyear arrived at the Mesabi Range. For the next 35 years, he was closely tied to the exploration and development of the Range. He brought in the first diamond drill to be used there and, on June 3, 1890, his thundering steam engine began driving its diamond-bitted drill. He eventually directed the exploration of 7,133 test pits and diamond drill holes across the iron ranges.
In 1911, the E. J. Longyear Company expanded its activities with the addition of a contract shaft-sinking division and, in 1914, John C. Greenway hired him to send a diamond drill to Arizona; a year later Longyear had six drills in operation at the New Cornelia Mine of Phelps Dodge Corporation. This was the first successful application of diamond drilling to a low-grade copper deposit. The manufacturing activities of the company grew from a small diamond drill repair shop started in 1902 to several large factories. One ranks as the largest manufacturer of diamond drills in the nation.
Today, the exceptional reputation of the Longyear Company continues as it provides exploration drilling equipment and contracting services to the minerals industry worldwide.
